The Priestess and the Dragon

by Nicolette Andrews

  Akira screeched as the flames scorched her skin. Her lips pulled back in a grimace. She batted at the flames that were crawling along her sleeve and catching fire on her clothes. She dropped to the ground and rolled around, but nothing seemed to deter the fire's ferocity.

  "Do something!" Rin shouted at Suzume.

  Suzume threw up her hands. She was locked in place, not sure what to do or how to stop the unnatural fire from killing Akira and Tsuki. It was Kaito who came to the rescue and blew on the burns with breath made of ice. The two combating elements met in an explosion of fire and sparks, steam and ice, as it extinguished the flames. Akira lay on the ground panting for a few moments. She trembled all over and her skin had pink and black burns vining up her arms from where the fire had touched her.

  Suzume's anger had cooled into fear, but she remained engulfed in flames that did not burn her. Kaito turned back to Suzume and he tilted his head as he regarded her, less afraid and more curious. "This is not a skill Kazue had. What are you?"

  "Believe me, I wish I knew," Suzume said in a shaky voice.

  I wish none of this ever happened. Damn my mother for doing this to me. If I hadn't been exiled, none of this would have happened. I wish everything would go back to normal. She tried to fight it, but she was so mad and afraid that a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. Once the tears started, she could not stop them. Suzume fell to her knees and hid her crying behind her hands.

  The wind died down and she felt the storm inside her calm. The flames must have gone out as well because someone put an arm around her shoulder. She was mortified to have had so many people witness her moment of weakness. She did not want to open her eyes and face them, but if she kept letting one of them comfort her, she would look even weaker. She opened her eyes. She was surprised to find Kaito had put his arm around her. This led to a complicated series of emotions. Chief among them was the thought that he was only doing it because he still saw her as Kazue. He did say he does not think I'm Kazue. Not that I care. He's an arrogant jerk.

  No matter what she told herself, she did feel comforted when he held her, as evident by her body not sparking to protect her. There was also the possibility that she had burned out all of her spiritual energy in her fire display. It was difficult to tell. She did feel empty at the moment, but she wasn't sure if it was because of her lack of energy or the feeling that she had lost everything the moment she had released Kaito.

  She discreetly removed herself from Kaito's grip. But she did not give him any spitting insults and he did not leer or make any suggestive remarks.

  "Well, that was interesting," Tsuki said using Akira's form.

  Suzume laughed and it sounded insane to her own ears. The others were definitely looking at her in a new light.

  "Any theories on what just happened here?" Suzume asked.

  Kaito had not moved away. He was near enough to touch. Their fingertips were just inches apart. She looked down at their close proximity, considered saying something, then decided not to. She liked having him close, just in case anything decided to pop out of the woods and try to eat her. As weak as she felt, she wouldn't have the motivation to even try to defend herself. It was not because she wanted to be near him. At least that's what she told herself.

  Everyone took a seat and they looked at each other. No one spoke for a long time.

  Surprisingly, Rin was the first to speak. "I think you're some sort of fire creature, at least in part."

  "That's not possible. Both of my parents are human!" Suzume protested.

  "Your mother did get exiled for having an affair; maybe it's been going on longer than we initially thought," Kaito said.

  She glowered at him. Leave it to the Dragon to drag up her past. Thanks for kicking me when I am down. "Yes, she was banished for her infidelity. But even if the emperor is not my father, how does that equal me lighting up like a torch?"

  "Maybe the infidelity charge was a cover-up? Perhaps the emperor discovered that your mother was something less than human," Akira said reasonably.

  It was a sound theory, but Suzume was not willing to believe her mother had been a Yokai. She tried to think of the few and far between times she had seen her mother. Her mother had, for most of Suzume's life, been the emperor's favorite wife. Though not his first, she was adored and often exploited her position to get whatever she wanted. Suzume was more inclined to believe her mother had an affair than that she had secret powers.

  "Maybe we should find her after we find the forgotten priest," Kaito said. She could see his wheels turning, planning another adventure.

  "No. Not going to happen."

  "Why not? Don't you want to have a reunion with your dearest mommy?" Kaito teased.

  She turned to face him and said, "Do you want to find your son?"

  The smile was wiped right off his face.

  "I did not think so." She crossed her arms and scooted a little further from him. She was not feeling as chummy with Kaito as she had been before. "Speaking of which, how do we even know this priest is alive?" Suzume asked.

  "I just know," Akira said with an air of superiority.

  "Well, I meant what I said earlier; I'm tired of the secrets. What are you two plotting?"

  Akira stared at Suzume for a moment, giving her a steady look. "You want the truth?"

  "No, I want more lies."

  Akira sighed. "The priest we are looking for is like us. He will live trapped as he was the day Kazue cursed him until Kazue's spell can be broken."

  "Okay, why would you keep that information from us?" Suzume had a feeling they still were not telling her the whole story.

  Akira looked away. She and Tsuki appeared to be having a silent conversation. I didn't know that they could do that. I wonder why they have all the other back and forth. Maybe it's for our benefit. Either way it was creepy.

  They concluded their silent conversation and Akira turned to face Suzume.

  "The priest is not just cursed, he's our father."

  Chapter Forty-four

  "Wait," Suzume said as she put up her hand. "So you're saying this mythical priest is your father? Why didn't you tell us this before?"

  Akira shrugged. "We thought you would doubt our motives if we told you."

  "It's too late for that. I have doubted your motives from the moment I met you. I think an explanation is in order. What are the two of you after, really?"

  Akira sighed heavily. "I was afraid it was going to come down to this. As you may realize, Tsuki and I want to be freed from the curse that bound us together, but we're not the only ones who were effected by Kazue's curse. She cursed our entire family. She bound us to the staff and forced us to share a body, and our father is being forced to guard Kazue's heart."

  Suzume's head hurt, and she massaged her temples. "What do you mean 'Kazue's heart'?"

  "What game are you playing, Akira?" Kaito snarled.

  Suzume's head whipped to the side to watch Kaito. His hands were clasped at his sides as if he was using all his effort not to strike at Akira. Akira returned his snarling gaze with a tilted smile. She loves taunting him. Rin moved close to Kaito and put a hand on his shoulder. He did not turn to look at her, but Suzume could see his shoulders relax. Suzume looked away from them. Her angry words she threw at Rin earlier that day came back to mind. I do not want her thinking I am jealous.

  "There's no game, Dragon. You should know that at times those humans who have exceptional spiritual powers are embalmed so their holy powers can be harnessed. What is hidden in this mountain is Kazue's remains. They are imbued with Kazue's spiritual power. You and I both know what danger that could mean if the power fell into the wrong hands."

  Kaito's eyes had turned a burning blue that he only displayed when he was really angry. She had not seen him this angry since the temple, when he thought she planned to seal him. What is he so worked up about? It's just her body.

  "Who did this to her?" he growled. The air dropped by a few degrees and Suzume shivered. She rubbed her
palms against her arms.

  "It was Kazue's choice," Tsuki replied, once more using his sister's face to speak. "There was something she could not finish in her first life, so she sealed her powers until her reincarnation was born and could take her place."

  Three pairs of eyes swiveled in Suzume's direction. She threw up her hands in a defensive pose. "Why are you all looking at me?"

  Kaito coughed and it sounded suspiciously like laughter. She scowled at him, but he would not look at her.

  "We've already established Kazue had some great quest I am destined to complete, but why hide her powers up in the mountains? She seemed perfectly content to leave the staff at the shrine."

  "I would assume this would be the best way to protect it," Akira said. She shrugged again. "Honestly, I don't know the whys of it. All I know is that Kazue's heart has the power to break this curse on my family, but only if the right person can access the power within."

  "Meaning me?" Suzume guessed.

  "Yes, she intended for her reincarnation to gather the relics of her previous life."

  "What if I don't want to help? Ever since I unleashed Kaito from the seal, I've had nothing but trouble. How much worse will things get once I free Kazue's power?"

  "You don't have a choice; this is your destiny," Akira said.

  Suzume's hands clenched at her sides. Her building frustration had reached its peak. She was tired, hungry and, the worst offender, filthy. Bits of ichor and dirt clung to her torn and ruined clothes. She had gone along at first because she did not have any choice, but everyone had a breaking point and Suzume had reached hers.

  "That's what's great about being human, I don't have to do anything I don't want to." She turned on her heel and stomped away from the group.

  "You can't run away," Kaito called out to her, but she pretended not to hear.

  Her fingertips crackled with power. Red sparks sputtered and flickered along her skin and her hair. She was afraid she was going to erupt into flame once more, and that was probably the only thing keeping the others from following after her. She expected Kaito to come after her despite that, but she made it out without anyone physically detaining her.

  As the light of their campfire faded behind her, Suzume stumbled over rocks and tore her clothes further. She tripped over a bush and scratched her arm. She swore under her breath as she fell to her knees and pain shot up her leg. She looked over her shoulder, out of habit. There was no one behind her to see her fall.

  The forest was pitch black. Overhead, the stars twinkled against the inky sky. The moon was a thumbnail and gave little light. As her eyes adjusted, however, she could see the silhouettes of trees. She got to her feet and continued on with her hands outstretched in front of her. I'd rather deal with whatever is lurking in these woods than face another moment of my so-called destiny. I'm not stupid, I know they're just helping me because I can free them from their curse. I don't know what Rin wants, but I'm sure she has her own motives. As for Kaito, he just wants me to be Kazue... That was the most bitter thought of them all.

  Cicadas buzzed nearby as she bumped into tree trunks. An animal skittered through the underbrush and she saw a glimpse of luminescent eyes before they disappeared into the forest. A twig snapped nearby and she spun in circles. Her power swam to the surface, coating her skin in a pale red glow. It felt like a prickle along her arm, wrapping her in warmth. It was getting easier to summon the power. She held up her hand, hoping the glow of her skin would illuminate her path. Which way back to the shrine? I'm going to force them to let me stay, even if I have to invoke my father's name. She hadn't been able to do that in quite some time. The emperor would be upset with her if he found out, but it seemed worth the risk. It would at least give her enough time to figure out where to go from here.

  The cicadas' song cut short and the following silence was deafening. Suzume spun around in circles, her eyes squinting in the dark, looking for a shadow, a hint of what had scared away the insects.

  "Kaito, if that's you, I am not coming back. Go fetch Kazue's heart yourself. I'm done being your dog!"

  A light flickered to life a few feet from her, a glowing orb hanging overhead. Suzume turned towards it as she removed her staff from her back sheath and pointed it in the direction of the unnatural light.

  "Suzume, I thought we had agreed we would not fight one another," Hisato said.

  A shiver ran down Suzume's spine. She knew she had not seen the last of Hisato. He stepped into the light. The golden orb hung above his head like a miniature sun and cast his face in shadows. She could see the sharp edges of his cheekbones contrasting with the sweep of his eyebrows and his lips, which were pulled back in a toothy grin.

  "What are you doing here, back to taunt me some more?" She pointed the staff at him, but she suddenly felt very vulnerable. If her previous run-ins with Hisato were any indication, she was no match for him, and this time there was no one here to save her.

  He strolled over to her with his hands folded behind his back. "No. I came for my answer, Suzume." He spoke her name, savoring every syllable.

  "Oh yeah, you want me to do your dirty work, right?"

  He stopped a few feet away from her, just out of striking distance. He chuckled. "Something like that. What's your decision?"

  She was outmatched by him physically, but she knew she could talk to him. "Let me ask you, why don't you kill him yourself?"

  "A good question with a complicated answer. Let's just say the universe has a certain... balance. I cannot raise a hand against Kaito because if I did, it would upset that balance."

  Suzume frowned and let her staff drop a little. That doesn't make any sense. He seems more like the type that loves chaos. Hisato's gaze flickered to her lowered defenses. She took a step forward and jabbed at him with the end of her staff. "But you can kill all the other Yokai? Why is that?"

  He spun away from her attack and disappeared into the dark. He reappeared behind Suzume and said, "As I said, it's complicated. Does this mean you agree?"

  She had thought about it, seriously even. All Kaito had done since she met him was cause her heartache, put her life in danger, and drag her around like a lapdog. But she could not bring herself to kill him--she didn't have it in her. The only thing she had ever killed was the Yokai back when she was trying to find the wish-granting Kami, but that had been coincidental. The problem was she wanted out of this quest; she wanted nothing to do with Kazue, her task or the lot of them. I am running out of options. They let me stomp off for now, but I know Kaito will come drag me back any minute.

  "I don't think I am powerful enough to kill him," Suzume said, as an excuse. She hoped if Hisato thought she was too weak, he would leave her alone. It wasn't likely, but she liked to stay optimistic.

  "That can be remedied easily enough. All you lack is Kazue's power. If you had her heart, then you could reach your full potential."

  "And now we come to the real reason you want me. I already know I'm the only one who can retrieve her heart, and no, I won't get it for you." She turned to walk away, but before she could get more than a few steps, Hisato grabbed her wrist and spun her around to face him.

  He was taller than her by a few inches and she had to tilt her head back to look at him. He was handsome, all sharp angles and dark eyes. Suzume wrenched her hand away.

  "I am not doing this for myself, Suzume." When he said her name again, it made her shiver.

  "Really now?" He had let her go, but he still stood close to her, too close really. She should take a step back, but she didn't.

  "With power like Kazue's, you could return your life to the way it was. You could go back to the palace, marry the general, flirt with the young men. You would never have to worry about the world of immortals ever again. You would be free of it."

  "What, does Kazue's heart grant wishes?"

  He chuckled, a dark, husky sound. "Not quite, but Kazue was one of the most powerful priestesses to ever live. With her staff and her heart, you would be unstoppable. Y
ou could do whatever you wanted. You could even be the empress."

  A flood of images filled Suzume's mind. She remembered her life as it had been. The silk robes, servants who fell over themselves to attend to her every whim, hundreds of suitors who showered her in gifts, and most of all, she had never been hungry, scared or dirty. I would be more powerful than my father. I could exile him to some remote shrine in the middle of the sea. She smiled thinking of it.

  "I can see this pleases you," Hisato purred.

  She looked up at him with eyes narrowed. It was a pretty picture, but she couldn't help but think there were strings attached to this offer. "This seems too good to be true. How do I know you won't try to take the heart from me the moment I get it."

  He laughed again and took another step closer to Suzume. He reached out and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. His skin was soft. His fingers were long and tapered. It also occurred to her that sparks never flew when they touched.

  "Why can you touch me without my body reacting?" she asked.

  He leaned in, his breath mingling with hers. She knew she should step away--he was most likely using her, but she liked to imagine she was using him. He gave her information and she got all the benefit. At least that's how it played out in her mind.

  "Haven't you realized it yet, Suzume?" He ran his thumb across her lips, which parted beneath his touch. "You were meant for me. We are destined. Get Kazue's heart, gain the power, and when you have everything you wished for, you will be able to return to the life you deserve." Hisato stepped away suddenly and Suzume felt a chill sweep over her. She wrapped her arms around her torso. "It's up to you, Suzume. Whom do you want to trust? The ones who have deceived you from the moment you met or me?"

  "You attacked me on multiple occasions." Even when she said it, it lacked conviction. She felt strangely conflicted. Kaito had threatened her life more times than she could count. She was positive Akira and Tsuki were up to something--more than what they had disclosed. The world had turned upside down and she did not know who to trust.